Heel and shank lasting machines



Oct. 8, 1963 3,105,983

E. A. DESCHENES ETAL HEEL AND SHANK LASTING MACHINES 11 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 9, 1962 [In/6n f0 rs .E m 1' [a ADeschenes Roscoe L.Hi [Z By heir-A zzorna Oct. 8, 1963 E. A. DESCHENES ETAL HEEL AND SHANK LASTING MACHINES ll Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 9, 1962 Oct. 8, 1963 E. A. DESCHENES ETAL 3,105,933

HEEL AND SHANK LASTING MACHINES 11 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 9, 1962 Oct.

Filed 8, 1953 E. A. DESCHENES ETAL 3,105,933

HEEL AND SHANK LASTING MACHINES May 9, 1962 11 Sheets-Sheet 7 Oct. 8, 1963 E. A. DESCHENES ETAL HEEL AND SHANK LASTING MACHINES 11 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed May 9, 1962 Oct. 8, 1963 E. A. DESCHENES ETAL 3 HEEL AND smmx LASTING MACHINES Filed May 9, 1962 11 Sheets-Sheet 9 Oct. 8, 1963 Filed May 9, 1962 E. A. DESCHENES ETA]...

HEEL AND SHANK LASTING MACHINES 11 Sheets-Sheet 10 Q Q Q g Oct. 8, 1963 Filed May 9, 1962 E. A. DESCHENES ETAL ,105,983

HEEL AND SHANK LASTING MACHINES 11 Sheets-Sheet 11 All 3.1%,933 HE L AND SHANK LASEENG MACHENES Emiie A. Dcschenes, Eanvers, Mass., and Roscoe L. H1ll,

Norway, Maine, assigncrs to United Shoe Machinery Corps-ration, Boston, Mass a corporation of New derse J Filed May 9, 1962, Ser. No. 193,415

39 Claims. ((31. 1210.1)

This invention relates to lasting machines, and more particularly is concerned with improvements in a machine for lasting the heel and shank portions of shoes of the type disclosed and claimed in a copending application for United States Letters Patent Serial No. 133,361, filed August 23, 1961, in the name of Adelbert W. Rockwell, Jr. it is to be understood, however, that in their broader aspects features of the invention are not necessarily limited to embodiment in a machine of that particular type or to the exact mechanical construction shown.

In the machine disclosed in the above-mentioned application, there are combined with the usual heel end lasting instrumentalities, including a support for a shoe on its last, a heel band, heel end wipers adapted to be actuated by power operated means through an automatic operating cycle, and a clutch for controlling the action of the power operated means, shank lasting instrum-entalities comprising a pair of upper tcnsioning devices including grippers for tensioning the upper materials in two locations at the opposite sides of the shank portion of a shoe on the support, shank lasting wipers having flexible portions shaped to conform generally to the longitudinal curvature of the shank portion of the shoe and a relatively fiat portion extending heelwardly beyond the toeward limit of action of the heel end wipers, and power operated means for actuating these shank lasting instrumentalities. In addition, in this prior machine, power operated means are provided for moving the shoe support from an inoperative position to an operative position, together with means including a member movable to two different control positions and adapted, when moved to the first position, to cause the support to be moved to operative position, and when moved to its second position, to cause the shank lasting instrumentalities to be actuated by their associated power operated means, and means responsive to the completion of the action of the shank lasting instrumentalities for actuating the above-mentioned control means, thus to initiate an automatic operating cycle of the heel end lasting instrumentalities.

In the above aforementioned prior machine, the upper tensioning grippers which are associated with the shank lasting instrumentalities are so located as to engage the upper materials at the opposite sides of the shank portion of the shoe being lasted about midway between the breast line and ball line of the shoe. While this arrangement has proved to be generally satisfactory, under some working conditions a tensioning of the upper materials at the opposite sides of the shank portion of the shoe in locations closer to the breast line and also in locations closer to the ball portion seem to be desirable. Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to extend the scope and improve the operation of a machine of the type here under consideration by the provision of a pair of upper tensioning devices having grippers for tensioning the upper at the opposite sides of the shank portion of the shoe in locations close to the breast line and another pair of upper tensioning devices having grippers for tensioning the upper materials at the opposite sides of the shoe in a location close to its ball portion. More particularly, and in accordance with a feature of the invention, the pair of upper tensioning devices provided for tensioning the upper adjacent to the ball portion of the shoe are mounted for adjusting movements in directions extend- 335,983 Patented Oct. 8, 1963 ice ing lengthwise of the shoe, both independently and together as a unit to accommodate shoes of different sizes, and means are provided for enabling the operator quickly and readily to shift this pair of upper tensioning devices in directions extending laterally of the shoe to accommodate right shoes and left shoes.

On the other hand, the machine may be called upon to last the heel and shank portions of shoes in which a tensioning of the upper materials in locations adjacent to the ball portion may not only be unnecessary but also actually undesirable. Thus, in accordance with still a further feature of the invention, means are provided for rendering the ball grippers inoperative to tension the upper materials either by preventing their descent from elevated and inoperative positions and/ or by causing their jaws to remain closed. As in the prior machine, the upper tensioning devices of the herein illustrated machine each carry a shoe bottom engaging member which, when the grippers descend to operating position, and also during the action of the grippers to tension the upper materials, press yieldingly against the shoe bottom and serve as insole holddowns. Thus, in the herein illustrated machine, by permitting descent of the ball grippers while at the same time causing them to remain closed, the advantages of the aforementioned insole holddown action of the upper tensioning devices adjacent to the ball portion of the shoe may be retained.

When presented to a heel and shank lasting machine of the type here under consideration, the shoe Will have already been pulled over and either toe lasted or, perhaps, toe and forepart lasted. Thus, the upper materials in the vicinity of the ball portion of the shoe will be in position to be seized quite readily by the ball grippers as they descend to operative position. However, the upper materials in the vicinity of the breast line of the shoe will usually be flared outwardly away from the opposite sides of the last and quite Well out of the range of action of the breast line grippers as they descend. To avoid the necessity of the operator manually holding the upper materials in against the sides of the last in these locations, a somewhat dangerous procedure, the herein illustrated machine is, in accordance with still a further feature, provided with means for automatically accomplishing this result. More particularly, and as herein illustrated, the heel band of the heel seat lasting machine is utilized for this purpose, and means are provided for preliminarily closing the heel band around the heel end of the shoe immediately after the shoe support has been actuated to bring the shoe into operative position and just before the grippers are caused to descend and close at the beginning of the shank lasting operation.

A still further object of this invention is to provide improved means for wiping the lasting margin of the upper materials at the opposite sides of the shank portion of a shoe inwardly over and for pressing the lasting margin iirmly against the bottom of the shoe. To this end, and 1n accordance with other'features of the invention, the shank wipers of the herein illustrated machine each comprise a series of blocks which are joined together in articulated fashion by means of intermediate links and which carry resilient wiping members arranged in overlapping or shingled relation. Associated with the mentioned links are yieldable abutment members which may be adjusted, independently and in groups, in such Ways as to accommodate different heel heights, as well as various shank contours. Preferably, and as herein illustrated, these improved shank wipers include additional articulated blocks provided with resilient wiping members and adapted to operate for a considerable distance toewardly of the ball portion of the shoe and into its forepart. In order to augment the action of these shank wiping units in pressing the overwiped lasting margin of the upper materials against the bottom of the shoe, means are provided for moving them toward the bottom of the shoe both as a unit at the conclusion of their inward wiping action and also for causing separate portions thereof to apply additional pressure on the overlasted upper materials during the subsequent operation of the heel seat lasting instrumentalities.

The above and other objects and features, including improved means for controlling the operation of the shank lasting instrumentalities, will appear in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will appear in the claims.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a view in front elevation of a machine embodying the features of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation of a portion of the machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view in front elevation and at an enlarged scale of a pair of upper tensioning devices and associated mechanism forming a part of the machine;

7 FIG. 4 is a plan view of a portion of the upper tensioning mechanism shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view in front elevation of a second pair of upper tensioning devices forming a part of the machine;

FIG. 6 is a view in side elevation of the upper tension-, ing devices shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 of the drawings;

FIG. 7 is a view in side elevation of oneof two shank wiping units with which the machine is shown in FIG. 1 is provided;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the shank wiping unit shown in FIG. 7 with certain parts shown in horizontal section and others broken away;

FIG. 9 is a view in plan of another part of the shank wiping unit which is broken away in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a view in vertical section substantially on line XX of FIG. 8 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 11 is a view in vertical section substantially on line XIXI of FIG. 8 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 12 is a plan view of a portion of the machine showing the shank wiping units and the heel end lasting wipers which are associated with the heel seat lasting machine to which the improved shank lasting instrumentalities of this invention are illustrated as applied;

FIG. 13 is a view in front elevation and with other parts in vertical section and showing guide and supporting means associated with one of the shank wiping units;

' FIG. 14 is a view in vertical section showing the construction of one of the four upper tensioning devices which are associated with the shank lasting mechanism;

FIG. 15 is a diagrammatic showing of a switch box;

FIG. 16 is a diagrammatic drawing showing the fiuid pressure system provided for operating the shoe supporting jack, the shank lasting units, and for initiating an automatic operating cycle of the heel seat lasting instrumentalities; and

FIG. 17 is an electrical diagram.

Referring to these drawings, the improvements of this invention are shown as applied to a heel seat lasting machine of the same type as that referred to in the opening paragraph of the specification of the above-mentioned copending application for United States Letters Patent, i.e., of the type disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,583,044, issued May 4, 1926, in the name of Charles H. Hoyt, modified in some respects as shown in United States Letters Patent No. 1,770,976, issued July 22, 1930, in the name of Joseph F-ausse, and provided with a power operated shoe supporting jack generally as disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 3,005,216, issued October 24, 1961, in the name of Emile A. Deschenes.

In common with heel seat lasting machines of this type, the herein illustrated machine is provided with heel end wipers 100, 100, a heel band 102,- FIG. 12, and mechanism, not shown, for driving fastenings through openings in these wipers after they have been advanced and closed in an automatic operating cycle during which a shoe sup-. ported on a jack, indicated generally by the reference character 104, FIGS. 1 and 2, is located in a heightwise direction 'by engagement with a holddown 166, this au-' tomatic operating cycie being initiated in response to the tripping of a clutch, which, in accordance with the teaching of the invention of the aforementioned copending application, is effected in response to the completion of the operation of the shank lasting instrumentalities. As already suggested, the shoe supporting jack 10'4- is operated by power in a manner similar to that disclosed in United States Patent No. 3,005,216, the specific operating means herein illustrated, FIG. 2, being a piston 110 contained within a cylinder 112, and the specific mechanism through 'which this piston operates first to swing the jack inwardly and then to move the jack post 114 thereof upwardly to bring the heel end of a shoe on the jack into engagement with the heel band 102 and in contact with the holddown 106 being similar to that shown in the mentioned patent to which reference may be made for details not set forth herein.

As in the machine of the prior copending application, there are applied to the heel seat lasting machine, shank lasting instrumentalities including means for tensioning the upper materials at the opposite sides of the shank portions of a shoe, i.e., from the breast line toewardly to the ball portion, together with means for thereafter wiping the lasting margin ofthe tensioned upper materials inwardly over and for pressing the lasting margin firmly against the bottom of the shoe along its shank portion and toewardly of the ball portion into the forepart. In accordance with the present invention, the means for tensioning the upper materials comprise a first pair of tensioning devices, indicated generally by the reference characters 200, 200, located in positions to act on the upper materials of a shoe in the vicinity of the breast line, See FIGS. 5 and 6, together with a second pair of upper tensioning devices, indicated generally by the reference characters 202, 202, located in positions to act upon the upper materials of the shoe in the vicinity of its ball portion, see FIGS. 3, 4 and 6.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, there is mounted on a portion of a fname construction 264 a fabricated and vertically extending bracket member,- indicated generally by the reference character 206, on which the upper tensioning devices just mentioned are supported. This bracket member is also provided with suitable guideways in which the holddown 106 is mounted for vertical movement under the control of a cam associated with the heel seat lasting machine acting through a mechanical linkage including a love;- 208, link 210, bell crank lever 212, link 214, and a compression spring 216, FIG. 6. Secured to the lower front portion of the bracket member 266 are two hinge blocks 220, 220 on which there are pivotally mounted tWo supporting arms 222, 222, FIG. 5. Mounted on the lower ends of each of these arms, in a manner to be explained below, is a bifurcated guide member 224 adapted to embrace an upper tensionin-g device 200 for guiding its heightwise movements. Except for matters of size and exact shape, all of the four upper tens-ioning devices are of substantially the same construction. Thus, a

detailed description of one .of these devices will be sufficient for all.

, Turning to FIG. 14 of the drawings, each upper tensioning device comprises a body portion 230 which is of generally rectangular shape in cross section, and has a downwardly extending projecting portion 232. Slidable within a bore 234, formed in the body portion, is a tubular member 236 to the upper end of which is threaded the stem portion of a cylinder 240 containing a piston 242, held yieldingly in the elevated position in which it is shown by a compression spring 244. Threaded into the upper end of this cylinder is the lower portion of a T-'. fitting 248 provided with a lateral branch 250,- and an upper end which is closed by an apertured link member 252, FIGS. 5 and 6. The piston 242 has an integrally formed piston rod which extends downwardly through a clearance bore in the stem portion 238 and into the tubular member 236 where it is connected to the upper end of a gripper closing rod 254 which is slidable within a longitudinal bore 256 formed in a plunger 258. The plunger 258 is secured to the lower portion of the tubular member 236 by means of two pins 258, only one of which is visible in FIG. 14, which project forwardly and rearwardly from the plunger, through holes in the tubular member 236 and out through slots 264 in the body portion 231} of the upper tensioning device, see FIGS. 5 and 14, a coil spring 266 normally holding the parts in the position shown in FIGS. 3, 5, 6 and 14. At its lower end, the plunger 258 is cut away to provide a recess 263 into which the rod 254 extends, and fonmed integrally with the plunger is a fixed gripper jaw 27%. Pivotally mounted between the opposite sides of the recess 268 is a movable gripper jaw 272 provided with a tail portion carrying a roller 274-. A leaf spring 276 normally holds the movable jaw in the open position in which it is shown in FIG. 14 and carried by the lower end of the operating rod 254 is a wedge-shaped gripper closingcam 27 S which is adapted to swing the movable jaw 272 toward the fixed jaw 270 when the piston 242 is forced downwardly upon the admission of fluid under pressure to the cylinder 24% through the T-fitting 248. The downwardly extending projection 232 of the body portion 236 is utilized as an insole holddown, as will appear below, and in order to facilitate such use, there is pi-votally mounted thereon, by means of a trunnion pin 23%, an abutment member 282, the lower surface of which is preferably serrated, as shown in FIG. 6.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, at their upper ends the links 252, 252 are each connected, by means including a ball and socket connection, a cross pin 29%, and a clamping bar 291, to the lower corner of an equalizing lever 292 which is shaped as shown in FIG. 5, and which is pivotally mounted, by means of a pivot pin 294, on the lower portion of a supporting block 2%. This supporting block is connected directly to the rod 298 of a piston 3%, slidable in a cylinder 3&2, and projects rearwardly between the two downwardly extending arms of an inverted U-shaped plate 394, secured to the bracket memher 266. A spring-pressed plunger 396, mounted in the block 296, cooperates with a conical recess in one side of the equalizing lever 292, thus to hold the lever frictionally in the leveled position in which it is shown in FIG. 5, and to which it will be returned, when the piston 3% is elevated, by the action of the lower end portions of the U-shaped plate 384 on the clamping bar 291. This spring-pressed plunger has an end portion 397 which extends rearwardly out through a vertically disposed slot 398 formed in the bracket member 236, and is adapted to engage an operating roller 35 and thus move a switch lLS from the solid line to the dotted line position shown in FIG. 17. The cylinder 302 is mounted on the bracket member 2% and conduits 316, 312, through which operating fluid under pressure is admitted to and/or exhausted from the cylinder on the opposite sides "of the piston 30%, are connected to its upper and lower ends, see also FIG. 16. A spring-pressed plunger 314, FIG. 6, is mounted within a portion of the bracket 2% and is adapted to engage the rearwardly extending portion 307 of the plunger 3%, thus to hold the piston 39% and parts connected thereto frictionally in the elevated positions in which they are shown when the fluid pressure system is shut off.

Each of the bifurcated guide members 224, referred to above, is provided with a cylindrical stem portion 32% which is rotatably mounted in a bore formed in the lower end of a supporting arm 222 and is adapted to embrace the body portion 230 of an upper tensioning device 2%. Extending through a bore in the stem portion 320 is a shaft 322 having a shouldered end 324 which is held yieldingly against an abutment surface 326 on the guide member 224 by means of a coil spring 328 which is interposed between a washer 330 and a hand knob 332, secured to the other end of the shaft. The inner end of the shaft 322 is internally threaded and receives the threaded end of a rod 334 which is connected to a block 336. On its inner side, as viewed in FIG. 5, this block carries a roller 338, which rides in a groove 340 formed in the ibody portion 231i of an upper tensioning device, and on its outer side this block carries a pin 342 which projects outwardly through a slot 344 formed in the guide member 224. With the arrangement which has just been described, the two upper tensioning devices 2%, 200, FIG. 5, may be initially adjusted by movements toward or away from each other, thus to position them properly with relation to shoes of different widths, by suitable manipulation of the hand knobs 332, 332, and these tensioning devices will be guided in their movements heightwise of the shoe by the guide members 224, 224 and rollers 338, 338 in the grooves 340, 340. However, each of these members can be moved inwardly against the yielding resistance of a spring 328, as, for example, when forced inwardly by the advancing shank wiping devices.

The upper tensioning devices 209, 2% may also be adjusted in directions extending lengthwise of the shoe for the purpose of locating them in a desired relation to the breast line of the shoe, in the following manner. As has already been pointed out, the arms 222 are each pivotally mounted on a hinge block 221?. Passing through a clearance groove extending upwardly from the lower side of each of these arms is an adjusting screw 35!) having a knurled head 352 and being thread-ed into a portion of the bracket member 206, FIG. 6. A compression spring 354, fitted in a recess in the bracket member, tends to bear against each of the arms 222, and thus tends to swing the arm away from the bracket member to the extent permitted by the adjusting screw 350. Accordingly, by a suitable manipulation of the adjusting screws 350, the arms 222, 222 may be swung to effect the aforementioned adjusting movements of the upper tensioning devices 200, 200 in directions extending lengthwise of the shoe.

As explained above, the upper tensioning devices 202, 2%)2, which are adapted to operate in the vicinity of the ball line of the shoe, are constructed exactly, except for matters of size and shape, like the upper tensioning devices 209, 201). Thus, to avoid unnecessary repetition, the foregoing description will not be repeated, and corresponding elements of the tensioning devices 292, 202 will be identified with the same reference characters, with the addition of a prime mark in order to differentiate between the two upper tensioning devices when necessary in describing the operation of the machine as a whole. The upper'tensioning devices 202, 202 are, however, supported on the bracket member 206 independently of the upper tensioning devices 260, 200, and have a rather wider capability of adjustment, as will presently appear.

Referring first to FIG. 5, there is mounted on and projecting forwardly from the bracket member 206 a supporting arm 36%) which is formed with a dovetail guide 362. Slidably mounted on this guide is a slide 364, to the front edge of which there is secured, by means of screws 366, 366, FIG. 3, a downwardly extending supporting plate 368, see also FIG. 6. An adjusting screw 370 having a knurled hand knob 372 is provided for moving this "slid-e along the guideway, thus to adjust the position of the plate 368 and other parts which are carried thereby and about to be described, forwardly and rearwardly of the machine, i.e., lengthwise of a shoe being lasted. Cut into the front face of the lower portion of the plate 368 is a horizontally disposed dovetail guideway 380, and slidable within this guideway is a dovetail guide 382 which is formed in the rear face of a crossbar 384, FIGS. 3 and 6..

Secured to each end of this crossbar is a bracket member 386 which extends downwardly and rearwardly, as shown in FIG. 6. Extending between these two bracket members is a fixed shaft 38% on which are pivotally mounted the two arms 222 and 222'. Threaded into trunnion blocks 3%, 33% mounted on the lower rearmost corners of the bracket members 335, are shafts 392, 392, each of which projects through a clearance bore in another trunnion block 394 carried by one of the arms 222', and is provided with a hand crank 396. Interposed between the trunnion blocks 3%, 399 and their associated arms 222, 222' are compression springs 393, 393. As will be apparent, by turning the hand cranks 3%, 395, the arms 222', 222, and thus the upper tensioning devices 2il2, 202, which are associated therewith, may be swung about the axis of the shaft 388 and the upper tensioning devices adjusted lengthwise of a shoe being lasted and toward or away from the other upper tensioning devices 200, 200.

Secured to the opposite edges of the plate 368 are two other bracket members 4%, 400, FIG. 3, shaped as shown in FIG. 6, and rotatably mounted in the lower corners of these two bracket members, and held against axial movement, is a shaft 4&2 provided with right and left-hand threaded portions 404, 4%. Mounted on these threaded portions are two stop members 4%, 419 each shaped to provide a groove 432 and a stop flange 414, see KG. 4. Secured to the crossbar 384 is a block 416 to which there are pivotally mounted two L-shaped levers 418, each having a locking arm 429, provided with a lip 422 adapted to fit into a groove 412, and an operating arm 424. When the shaft 4% is rotated, by means of a hand crank 426, the stop members 498, 419 will be moved toward or away from each other.

When these stop members are in the positions in which they are shown in FIG. 4, the crossbar 384, and parts carried thereby, will be held in their mid position, i.e., with the upper tensioning devices 202, 262 spaced apart equal distances from the center line of the machine, see FIG. 3. After swinging the arms 424, 424 toward each other, against the resistance of a compression spring 428, FIG. 4, the stop members 4%, 41%, may be separated by rotation of the shaft 462 in the proper direction, by an amount equal to twice the distance it is desired to offset the upper tensioning devices from their centered positions. Upon release of the arms 424, 424, the block 416 and with it the crossbar 384 and parts carried thereby, including the upper tensioning devices 282, 202, may be shifted in one direction or the other until the end of one of the locking arms 42%) engages the stop flange 414 on one of the stop members 4% or 410, the lip 422 now entering the groove 412 to lock the parts in this offset position. To shift the block and other parts to an offset position on the other side of center, the operator merely pushes on the lever arm 424 on the side opposite to the desired direction of movement, thus swinging the arm 420 to withdraw its lip 422 from the groove 412 and with continued pressure on the arm 424 the crossbar 384 and other parts will be shifted in the desired direction until the arm 420 on the other side of the block 416 engages the stop flange 414 on the other stop member 498 or 410. Thus, once the desired amount of olfset needed to accommodate right and left shoes of a particular style has been determined and the stop members 408, 410 appropriately adjusted, the upper tensioning devices 202, 202 may be quickly and easily shifted from one offset position to the other.

Referring to FIG. 6, the piston rod 298' which is connected to the block 296' extends downwardly from a piston 3%, see FIG. 16, within a cylinder 302' to which conduits 310' and 312' are connected. A forwardly extending portion 307' of the. spring-pressed plunger 306 is arranged to extend into a vertically disposed slot 308' formed in the supporting plate 368 and a spring-pressed plunger 314' is provided for engaging this portion of the plunger, thus to hold the block 2% and the other parts which are carried thereby frictionally in the elevated positions in which they are shown when the fluid pressure system is shut off. For holding the block 296' and parts carried thereby positively in these elevated positions, as for example when it is desired to dispense with the action of the upper tensioning devices 202, 202 entirely, a stop pin 43b is provided and this pin is normally held in the retracted position in which it is shown in FIG. 3 by means of a compression spring 432. However, by pushing this pin to the left and rotating it a quarter of a turn, by means of hand knob 434, a cross pin 436 may be withdrawn from a recess and brought to bear against the side of the plate 4%, thereby to hold this pin in operative position beneath the forwardly extending portion 307' of the springpressed plunger 3%.

Each of the shank wiping units is of the same construction and the one which is located on the right of the machine, as viewed from the front, is illustrated in detail in FIGS. 7-1l of the drawings. This shank wiping unit is mounted on the left-hand end of a slide member 5% which, as shown more particularly in FIG. 13, is supported for rectilinear movement on a pair of rollers 502, 594 mounted in a housing member 596. This housing member, which is provided with a clearance opening 568, and supported on a portion of the machine frame 294, is closed by a front cover member 510', FIG. 1. Pressed yieldingly against the upper surface of this slide member, by means of a compression spring 512, are two other rollers 51-4 and 515 mounted in a carriage 518, the firstmentioned roller by means of a cross shaft 52% which extends also into a guide slot 522 in the member 566, and the last-mentioned roller by means of a shaft 524 which is confined between a wall of the housing 506 and a wall of a cover member 516. On its upper surface the slide member is provided with an inclined cam surface 526 for a pinpose that will presently appear.

Secured to the left-hand end of the slide member 560', by means including a screw 539, FIG. 9, is a Wiper block 532 having formed integrally therewith an upstanding post 533, see also FIGS. 7 and 8. Connected to the wiper block 332, which may be referred to as a heel seat wiper block, are four shank wiper blocks 534, 5-36, 538 and 540, and two forepart wiper blocks 542, 544. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 11, the block 532 is connected to the block 534 by means of a link 546; the block 534 to the block 536 by a link 543; block 536 to the block 538 by a link 559; block 538 to block 540 by link 552, and'block 54 to block 542 by link 554, while the block 542 is hinged to the block 544 by a pin 556. Secured to these blocks, and extending beneath these blocks and also between the interposed links, are a series of overlapped or shingled wiping plates, formed of flexible resilient metal, which are identified with the same reference characters as the block to which they are attached, followed by a prime mark t).

Connected to the links 543, 559 and 552, respectively, are adjusting rods 558, 569* and 562, while connected to the block 54-4 is a rod 564, these rods being threaded at their upper ends to receive adjusting nuts 568, 57d, 5'72 and 574. The rod 558 projects through a clearance bore 576 formed in an offset upper end portion 578 of the above-mentioned post 533, while the rods 56%, 562 and 564 project through similar clearance bores 58%, 5'32 and 584 formed in an abutment member 586. Compression springs 588, 5%, 592 and 5%, respectively, surround these four rods and, as shown in FIG. 7, these springs bear, respectively, at their upper ends, against the end portion 578 of the post 533 and against the abutment member 586, and at their lower ends against suitable shoulders formed on these rods. The abutment member 586 is formed integrally with and extends outwardly from a supporting member 598 whichv is provided with a T-guide 690, FIG. 9, which is received within a T-slot 602 formed in an upwardly and re'arwardly extending block 664.

Journaled within a bore 666, FIG. 9, formed in the upper end of the block 604, is an adjusting screw 608, FIG. 7, the lower end of which is threaded into the member 598, while its upper end carries a knurled knob 610. This adjusting shaft is yieldingly held against axial movement in the bore 606 by means of compression springs 612, 614, interposed between collars 616 and 618 fastened to the adjusting screw and upper and lower surfaces on the top of the block 604. As will be apparent, by turning the screw 608, by means of the knob 610, the abutment member 586 may be moved upwardly or downwardly along a path which is inclined upwardly and to the left as viewed in FIG. 7. The block 604, in turn, has formed integrally therewith a rearwardly extending T-shaped guide 620 which is slidable within a T-slot 622 in the slide member 500, see also FIG. 13. Threaded into the slide member 500 is an adjusting screw 630 provided with an operating knob 632 and a thrust flange 634. This thrust flange fits into a notch 636, out into the side of the block 604, and adjacent thereto the outer end of the adjusting screw is supported on this block by means of a bearing bracket 638. With this arrangement, the abutment member 586 may be moved forwardly or rearwardly, -i.e., lengthwise of a shoe being lasted, by means of the adjusting screw 630.

Referring to FIG. 7, a shoe S being lasted is shown diagrammatically and in longitudinal profile and the shank wiping unit is illustrated as having wiped inwardly over the bottom of the shoe from the breast line portion of the heel seat Hs along the upwardly curving shank portion Sh, and forwardly beyond the break of the ball into the forepart, Fp, and is applying bed-down pressure to the bottom of the shoe so that the flexible resilient wiper plates are pressed upwardly against their respective wiper blocks. Also, each of the springs 588, 590, 59-2 and 594 have been compressed slightly and approximately to the same amount. Thus, when the shank wiping unit is subsequently withdrawn it will reassurne a shape having a longitudinal contour generally corresponding to the longitudinal curvature of the shoe diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 7 and with the several adjusting nuts 568, 570, 572 and 574, each in engagement with the upper sides either of the end portion 578 or of the abutment member 586. Now, to adjust the shank wiping unit to accommodate a shoe of the same general longitudinal contour but having a higher or a lower heel, the shank wiping unit comprising blocks -34, 536, 538, 540, 542 and 5'44 may, in effect, be swung about an axis extending transversely of the shoe and located approximately at the front edge of the Wiper block 532, by suitable manipulation of the adjusting screw 608. On the other hand, when it is desired to alter the longitudinal contour of the wiping unit to some difierent shape, this can be done by suitable manipulation of the several adjusting nuts 568, 570, 572 and 574. By a combination of these two adjustments, i.e., by means of the adjusting screw 608 and/or by adjusting the adjusting nuts 568, 570, 572 and 574, substantially any contour usually encountered in the general run of shoes and last styles may be very closely approximated by the shank wiping unit and any slight deviation therefrom will, of course, be readily accommodated by the yielding of the springs 588, 590, 592 and 594, as well as by the flexibility in conformity of the shingled wiper plates 532', 534, 536', 538, 540', 542' and 544'.

The shank wiper units are advanced to wipe the 1asting margin of the upper materials inwardly over the shoe bottom to press the lasting margin against the shoe bottom by fluid pressure operated means in the following manner. Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, each shank wiper unit supporting slide member 500 is connected to the piston rod 601 of a piston 603, FIG. 16, contained within a cylinder 605 by means of mechanism including links 607, 609, a bell crank lever 611 and a two-armed lever 613, journaled on a portion of the frame construction 204. The cylinders 605, 605 are each pivotally mounted at their lower ends on machine frame construction, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. When fluid under pressure is admitted to these cylinders, through conduits 621, 621 and a solenoid operated valve 3SV, FIG. 16, to the space below the pistons, these pistons will be elevated and the slide members 500, 500 moved in directions to carry the shank wiping units inwardly toward each other and toward the shoe to be lasted, see arrows, FIGS. '1, 12 and 13. On the other hand, when fluid under pressure is admitted to the other ends of these cylinders, through the valve 3SV, these slides and the shank wiping units carried thereby will be retracted to the positions in which they are shown in FIG. 1.

During the inward movement of each of the slide members 500, the rollers 514 ride upwardly along the inclined cam surfiace 526, formed on the upper surface of the slide member, thus swinging the carriage '518 in a counterclockwise direction, FIG. 13, about the axis of the shaft 524 and gradually compressing the spring 512. As each shank wiping unit first engages the shoe, the flexible wiper plates ride up over the edge of the shoe, thus causing the slide 500 to pivot about the roller 504 against the increasing resistance offered by the spring 512. The flexible wiper plates are also flexed from the position illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11 upwardly until they lie closely adjacent to and/ or substantially in contact with the lower surfaces of the wiper blocks and connecting links. Just before the inward movement of each slide member 500 and its shank wiping unit is terminated by the engagement of a stop abutment 631, FIG. 12, with the member 506, an adjustable abutment screw 633, carried by each link 600, FIG. 1, engages the lower edge of the slide member 500 and applies an upwardly directed force therca'gainst in about the location indicated by the arrow A in FIG. 13. Also, two limit switches 2L5 and 3LS, FIGS. 1, 15 and 16, are moved to closed positions by means of adjustable abutment screws 635, 635 carried by the piston rods 601, 601, FIG. 1.

With the shank wiping units exerting pressure downwardly against the bottom of the shoe, yieldingly through the action of springs 512, the application of this force first tends to swing the slide members 500, FIG. 13, in a counterclockwise directionabout the shank wiping units as a fulcrum, thus further compressing the spring 512 and increasing the pressure of the shank wiping unit on the shoe bottom. until the carriage 518 engages an adjustable stop screw 637, whereupon the slide member 500 is swung about this stop screw, acting as an unyielding fulcrum, by means of the piston 603 so that the shank wiping unit is pressed very firmly against the bottom of the shoe, thereby to apply bed-down pressure to the lasting mar-gin of the upper materials previously wiped inwardly over the shoe bottom, and with the flexible wiping plates in engagement with the lower surfaces of the wiper blocks and links and with springs 583, 590, 592 and 594 com pressed slightly, as indicated in FIG. 7. As will be apparent, this bed-down pressure is applied unyielding-1y through the wiper blocks 532 and associated flexible wiping plates 532 and yielding through the other blocks and wiping plates, as permitted by the springs 588, 590, 592 and 594 and also by the spring 614.

During the operation of the heel seat lasting instrumentalities, however, the yieldability of the shank wiping blocks and plates associated with the abutment members 586 is eliminated and extra bed-down action thus provided in the following manner. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 7, there is mounted on each of the blocks 604-, 604, referred to above, by means of a bracket 639, a cylinder 640 containing a piston 642 having an upwardly extending piston rod 644, see also FIG. 16. Each of these piston rods is in alinement with the outer end of a lever 646, pivotally mounted on the bracket 639 by means of a pin 648, FIG. 7, and has its other end bifurcated to embrace the upper portion of the adjusting screw 608, just beneath the knob 610, thus to engage the collar 616. When fluid under pressure is admitted to the cylinders 649, 643, beneath the pistons 642, 6 .2, these pistons will be elevated into engagement with the outer ends of the levers 646, thus applying a positive downward force on the adjusting screws 608 and abutment members 586 and wholly eliminating the yielding action of springs 614. Accordingly, the wiper blocks and plates associated with these abutment members will now be urged against the shoe bottom more firmly and an increased bed-down action will be provided through these wiper blocks and plates. Secured to and extending upwardly from the outer end of the right-hand slide member 580, FIG. 1, is an L-shaped arm 641 on which a cam member 643 is mounted for longitudinal adjusting movement by means of a screw 645. Supported on a bracket adjacent to this cam member is a control valve 7LV having an operating plunger, see also FIG. 16, adapted to be engaged by this cam member during the inward movement of the slide member.

During the automatic operating cycle of the heel seat lasting instrumentalities which is initiated by the engagernent of a single revolution clutch 65d, diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 16 of the drawings, and which causes a main cam shaft 652 to make a single turn, the heel band 162 is closed about the heel end of the shoe by means of mechanism similar to that dis-closed in the above-mentioned patents to Hoyt and Fausse. In the herein illustrated machine, however, additional mean are provided for closing the heel band around the heel end of the shoe previously to the operation of the shank lasting instmmentalities, thus causing the upper materials of the shoe, in the vicinity of the breast line, to be brought inwardly against the opposite sides of the last and located in positions to be readily seized by the two gripper jaws of the upper tensioning devices 200, 2&0 adapted to operate adjacent to the breast line of the shoe. For this purpose, the outer ends of the heel band supporting mechanism are connected by means of links 660, 669 to two bell-crank levers 662, 662, FIG. 1, pivotally mounted on the machine frame 204. Also supported on the frame of the machine are two cylinders 664, 664 each containing a piston 666, see FIG. 16, having a piston rod 666 which projects upwardly from its associated cylinder and in alinement with one arm of a bell-crank lever 662. As will presently appear, fluid under pressure is admitted to the cylinders 664, 664 just before the upper tensi-oning devices 206, 260 and 262, 202 are moved downwardly into position for their gripper jaws 270, 272 to close and seize the lasting margin of the upper materials. The pistons 666, 666 are thus elevated and the bell-crank levers 662, 662 swung in directions to close the heel band about the heel end of a shoe on the jack 104-, which will have previously been operated to move the shoe inwardly against the heel band and upwardly into contact with the holddown 106. As the heel band is thus closed, the upper materials in the vicinity of the breast line will be moved inwardly at the opposite sides of the shoe into positions to be readily grasped by the gripper jaws of the upper tensioning devices 2%, 260, see FIG. 12. In the vicinity of the ball portion of the shoe, as a result of the previous lasting of the forepart and/ or toe portion of the shoe, the upper materials will already be in a suitable position to be grasped by the gripper jaws of the other upper tensioning devices 292;, 202.

For tripping the clutch 650, refered to above, thus to initiate an automatic operating cycle of the heel seat lasting instrumentalities, an arrangement similar to that provided in the above-mentioned patent to Desohenes is utilized. Thus, a clutch tripping piston 670, contained within a cylinder 672, FIGS. 2 and 16, is operatively associated with a clutch tripping member 674 and :a solenoid operated valve 48V is provided for admitting fluid under pressure to this cylinder in response to the closing of the two limit switches 2L5 and 3L8 by the shank wiping unit operating pistons 603, 663 at the end of their operative strokes. lslounted on the main cam shaft 652 of the heel seat lasting machine is a switch operating cam 656, provided with a rise 658 which, when this shaft is at rest, at the beginning and conclusion of each automatic operating cycle of the heel seat lasting instrumentatlities, acts through a lever 659 to hold two switches 4L3 and SLS in the solid-line positions in which they are shown in FIG. 17 of the drawings. Immediately upon the initiation of rotation of the main cam shaft, as a result of the tripping of the clutch 650, these two switches are permitted to move to the two dotted-line positions shown in FIG. 17.

The fluid pressure system and electrical circuitry provided for controlling the operation of the machine are, respectively, illustrated in conventional diagrammatic manner in FIGS. 16 and 17. Details of the exact piping arrangements used to connect the several operating cylinders to a main pressure line ML, through various valves mentioned above and/ or referred to below, and of the particular electrical circuits, including conventional relays with their coils and contacts, valve solenoid coils, push button switches, etc, some of which have already been mentioned, and others which will be mentioned below, will be apparent to a person skilled in the art from these two figures, together with the following explanation.

A motor MR, adapted to drive the heel seat lasting machine, is set into operation in response to the pushing of a push button switch 2P3 (relay Mr and contact M) which also energizes the line to a work light WL, While the closing of a switch ITS energizes the various control circuits. The motor is stopped by a push button switch lPB. With a shoe to be heel and shank lasted mounted on the jack 104, the depression of a two-stage foot switch FS, see FIG. 2, to its first position, has the eilect of moving :a switch FS-L FIG. 17, to the dotted-line position. This energizes the coil 1C1 of a solenoid valve 15V which is shifted against the resistance of a return spring 18p to admit iluid under pressure from the main line ML to the space in cylinder 112 above the piston 110, causing the piston to move downwardly, and as a result of this downward movement the jack 104 will be swung inwardly land the jack post 114 elevated, in a manner explained in detail in the Deschenes patent referred to above, thus to move the heel end of the shoe into engagement with the heel band and to elevate it into engagement with the holddown 166. As is explained in the mentioned Deschenes patent, the jack post 114 is made in two parts which are telescoped together and yieldably separated by means of a spring. As a result of relative movement of these parts in response to pressure of the heel end of the shoe against a holddown, a switch 6L8 diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 16, which corresponds in function to the control valve 262 shown in FIG. 3 of the Deschenes patent, is closed.

Upon movement of the foot switch to its second position, which 'has the etfect of moving a switch FS-2 to the dotted-line position shown in FIG. 17, a relay 7R is energ'zed, as is also the coil 2C1 of a solenoid valve 25V. 'Fhis valve is now shifted, against the resistance of its return spring 28p, to a position to admit fluid under pressure from the main line ML to conduits 780, 702 and 7434, thus applying pressure to pistons 666, 666 within the cylinders 664, 664 to close the heel band around the :heel end of the shoe, and to the upper side of the pistons 360, 300 through branch conduits 310, 3 10', while the lower sides of these pistons are connected to exhaust through the con duits 312, 312' a conduit 706 and a quick dump valve. Pistons 390, 3% now move downwardly to bring the shoe bottom engaging members of the upper tensioning devices into engagement with the shoe. When the piston 300 completes its downward movement, switch lLS is moved from the solid-line position to the dotted-line position, FIG. 17, thus energizing a relay SR and decnergizing the solenoid 2C! of the valve 28V which is now returned to its original position by the spring 28p. Pressure is a'ted valve PV, now shifted to the dotted-line position as a result of the previous admission of pressure fluid to its left-hand pilot P1, through the conduit 790, to a conduit 708 which is connected to the cylinders 240, 240 directly, and through a manually operable valve lMV to the cylinders 246', 240 when this manually operable valve is in the solid-line position in which it is shown. Conduit 706 is connected by way of a conduit 710 and a sequence valve IVS to two pressure reducing valves 1PR and 2PR, connected respectively to conduits 3'12, 312.

Thus, when pressure builds up in the cylinders 240, 240,

'240, 249, after the jaws 272, 272 and 272 272 have closed on the lasting margin of the upper materials, sequence valve IVS will open and operating fluid under regulated pressure will force the pistons 300, 300 upwardly, thus causing the grippers to apply a tensioning pull to the upper materials on the opposite sides of the shoe in the vicinity of the breast line and ball portion, the machine now, in effect, coming to a stop with the upper under tension. If he is satisfied with the condition of the upper, the operator new releases the foot switch FS, thus permitting switches FS-1 and FS-2 to return to the solid-line positions shown in FIG. 17. Switch 1LS had, of course, returned to its solid-line position as the piston 300 was elevated, but the coil 2C1 of valve 2SV is still deenergized through contact 8C, which remains open, inasmuch as the relay SR is still energized.

Accordingly, when the switch FS-Z is returned to its solid-line position, relay 1-1R will be energized, through a closed contact 8C, a toggle switch 3T8, now in the closed position shown, and coil 3Cl of the solenoid valve 38V will be energized through closed con-tact 11C. Valve 3SV is now shifted against the resistance or its return spring 35p, to the dotted-line position, thus to admit fluid under pressure through a conduit 720, conduits 621, 621, to the cylinders 605, 605 beneath the piston 603 therein, while a conduit 722 leading to the cylinders above the mentioned pistons is connected to exhaust. The shank wiping units are now moved inwardly to wipe the lasting margin of the upper materials inwardly over the bot-tom of the shoe. As the slide 500, which is located on the right-hand side of the machine as viewed in FIG. 1 moves inwardly, the cam block 643 acts on the plunger 649 of a control valve 7LV, thus shifting this valve to the dotted-line position, FIG. 16, and admitting fluid under pressure from the main line ML to the left-hand pilot P2 of the valve PV and returning this valve to the solid-line position of FIG. 16. Cylin ders 240, 240 and 240', 240' will now be exhausted through the conduits 708 and the gripper jaws of the upper tensioning devices thus opened to release their grip on the lasting margin which is now wiped inwardly over the shoe bottom by the shank wiping units. Also, the pistons 3G0 and 300' are now fully elevated by fluid under pressure from the main line through valve ZSV, conduit 706, and a conduit 714.

When the shank wiping units have completed their inward wiping movements, the limit switches 2L5 and 3LS will be closed by the action of the abutment screws 635, 635, see also FIG. 1, thus energizing the coil 4C2 of s lenoid valve 48V, if a clutch safety switch 2T5 is in its normally closed position, which is now shifted against the action of its return spring 43p to the dotted-line position, FIG. 16, in which fluid under pressure is admitted to a conduit 739 leading to the clutch-tripping cylinder 672 and also to the two cylinders 640, 640 associated with the shank wiping units. The clutch 650 is now engaged and an automatic operating cycle of the heel seat lasting machine thus initiated. As the main cam shaft 652 of the heel seat lastring machine commences to turn, switches 4L8 and 5LS will be moved to their dotted-line positions, FIG. 17, and these switches will be returned to their solidline positions by the rise 658 when the cam shaft completes its single turn. When switch 4L8 is thus returnedto its sohid-line position, a relay 3R is energized, while relays 4R, 7R, SR and HR are deenergized through the opening of a contact 30. The shank wiping units now return so that switches ZLS and 3LS are again opened, and finally, as a result of the deenergizing of the relay 7R, the coil 1C1 of the valve 18V is deenergized, and this valve is shifted by its spring 18p to its original solid-line position. The jack is now swung outwardly and the jack post lowered by fluid under pressure admitted to the lower portion of the cylinder 112. The fluid pressure system and electrical circuits are now returned to their original conditions and the machine is reset cfior the next operating cycle.

With the switch 3TS in the closed position in which it is shown in FIG. 17, the machine is set for so-called automatic operation, i.e., the shank wiping units are automatically set into operation as a result of the release of the foot switch PS, after it has been depressed in two stages, thus to effect first, operation of the jack, and secondly, operation of the upper tensioning devices. If desired, however, for test purposes or other reasons, the machine may be set for a so-called manual operation by movement of the switch 3T8 to open position. Now, when the foot switch FS is released, the upper will be held under tension by the upper tensioning devices, and in order to initiate operation of the shank wiping units, the operator energizes the relay 11R by means of a push button switch SPB, whereupon the shank wiping units operate as before, and upon the closing of the switches 2L8 and 3LS the automatic operating cycle of the heel seat lasting instrumentalities is initiated and completed as before. If he desires, the operator may deenergize the relay 7R by operating a push button switch 31 B, thus releasing the jack and the grippers of the upper tensioning devices, after which the foot switch FS must be fully depressed and released again to return the jack and to cause the grippers to again seize and tension the upper materials. Also, the operator may cause the grippers of the upper tensioning devices to release the upper materials by manually actuating the plunger, 649 of the valve 7LV. After this has been done, the grippers may again be actuated by the operation of a push button switch 4PB. When it is desired to operate the heel seat lasting machine for the purpose of clearing tacks, the operator first actuates a heel pad release lever associated with the heel seat lasting machine, and then throws a toggle switch 6T8, thus causing the shank wiper units and heel seat lasting instrumentalities to operate in the usual manner without operating the jack or upper tensioning devices and without closing the heel band. For convenience the several operator controlled switches are mounted in switch boxes on the front of the machine, FIG. 15.

Referring to FIG. 16, the manually operable valve 1MV, referred to above, see also FIG. 1, is normally in the solid-line position shown, and when the valve is in this position, the gripper jaws of the upper tensioning devices are opened and closed in the manner described above. However, in operating on certain types of shoes, it may be desired to dispense with the action of the gripper jaws in the upper tensioning devices 202, 202, while still utilizing the action of these devices as holddown members. To do this, the valve lMV is shifted to the dotted-line position, FIGS. 1 and 16, so that fluid under pressure from the main line ML is admitted to the cylinders 240, 249, thus causing the grippers jaws 272', 272 to remain closed at all times. Now, a conduit 749, leading from the upper portion of the cylinder 300', is disconnected from an exhaust port and is connected to the conduit 708. Thus, the upper tensioning devices 202, 202 remain in their lowered positions and serve as insole holdowns, while the grippers of the upper tensioning devices 200, 2% are operated to tension the upper materials.

In using the above-described machine to last the heel and shank portions of a shoe, the operator places a shoe S, herein illustrated as comprising upper materials, indicated generally by the reference character U, assembled on a last L, together with an insole I, see FIGS. 10 and 12, on the jack 104 and, as a result of an initial depression of the foot switch FS,IEIG. 2;;moves the switch FS-1 to the dotted-line 'positionshown :in FIG. 17, thus causing the jack to carry the shoe inwardly into the heel band 162 and upwardly against the holddown 195. -A continued movement of the foot switch moves the switch FS2 to the dotted-line position, FIG. 17, thus causing the upper tensioning devices 2%, 2%, 262, 292 to be operated so that their gripper jaws 270, 272 and 27%), 2'72 descend, close on the upper materials, and then move upwardly to exert tensioning pulls thereon, while the abutment members 282-, 282, 282', 282' exert yielding pressure on the insole, through the action of springs 266, to hold the insole down against the bottom of the last. As the gripper jaws of the upper tensioning devices descend, the heel band of the heel seat lasting machine is moved inwardly by the pistons 642, 642, thereby moving the upper materials into position to be readily engaged by the gripper jaws of the upper tensioning devices 2%, 290 which operate adjacent to the breast line of the shoe, see FIG. 12.

Y With the upper materials thus held under tension by the grippers of the upper tensioning devices, the operator has ari'opportunity to inspect the shoe and to determine if the upper has been properly seized by the grippers and is otherwise in proper condition to be wiped inwardly by the shank wiping units. If he finds it so, he will continue the lasting operation by releasing the foot switch PS. Otherwise, he may cause the grippers to release the upper and the jack to return to its original position by actuating the push button 3PB, or he may merely release the upper by manually actuating the valve 7LV and then cause the grippers to again seize and tension the upper materials by actuating the push button 4PB. In case the push button 3PB is used, the initial steps in the lasting operation are repeated by a second depression of the foot switch P8. In any event, with the upper held under tension, either after the first or the second depression of the foot switch FS, with the switch 3T8, FIG. 17, set for automatic operation, upon release of the foot switch, the shank wiping units will be caused to move in 'wardly and wipe the lasting margin of the upper materials inwardly over and to press them against the bottom of the shoe.

As the shank Wiping units thus move inwardly and take control of the upper materials, the gripper jaws are opened to release the upper materials as a result of the automatic actuation of the valve 7LV by cam member 643', FIG, 1, and at the conclusion of their inward wiping movements these shank wiping units, which will have previously been adjusted by means of the hand knobs 619, 630 and adjusting nuts 56$, 57%, 572 and 574, to a shape to conform generally to the con-tour of the shank and adjacent ball portion of the shoe being lasted, see FIG. 7, are pressed more firmly against the lasting margin as a result of the action of the abutment screws 633, 633 on the shank wiper carrying slide members 569, Also, as the shank wiping units complete their inward movements, switches ZLS and 3L8 are closed, thus initiating'an automatic operating cycle of the heel seat lasting instrumentalities, including the heel band 102 and the heel end wipers 100, 10%. At the same time, fluid under pressure will be admitted to the two cylinders 64%, 646 so that those portions of each shank wiping unit which are associated with the abutment member 536, FIG. 7, become, in effect, unyieldingly supported on their associated slide member 590.

Accordingly, when during the automatic operating cycle tions, .as explained above,

When it is desired to dispense with the action of the gripper jaws of the upper tensioning devices 202, 292 which operate on the upper adjacent to the ball portion of the shoe, and at the same time to retain the insole holddown action of the abutment members 282, 282', the valve lMV is shifted manually to the dotted-line position indicated in FIGS. 1 and 16; With the valve in this position, the lasting operation proceeds, as set forth above,

with the exception that the jaws 270', 270', 272', 272'.

remain closed, while the upper tens-ioning devices 202, 262 descend, together with upper tensioning device 200, 200, and exert yielding pressure on the insole, while the upper is tensioned by the gripper jaws of the upper tensioning devices 200, 2% and until the valve 7LV is actuated to cause the gripper jaws of the upper tensioning devices 29%, 209 to open and release the stock, whereupon all of the tension devices are elevated out of the way of the advancing shank wiping units.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. In a machine for lasting the shank portion of a shoe, a support for a shoe on its last adapted to hold a shoe in predetermined position with the longitudinal center line of its heel end in alinement with the longitudinal center line of the machine, a first pair of upper tensioning devices arranged to operate in the vicinity of the breast line of the shoe and a second pair of upper tensioning devices arranged to operate in the vicinity of the ball portion ot the shoe, each of said upper tensioning devices. including a pair of upper gripping jaws and a member adapted to engage the insole of the shoe, a pair of shank Wiping units for Wiping the lasting margin of the tensioned upper materials inwardly over the shank portion of the shoe, means mounting said second pair of upper tensioning devices for sliding movement as a unit in directions extending laterally of the shoe being lasted to two difierent positions offset from the longitudinal center line of the machine to accommodate right and left shoes, and apair of manually adjustable stop members for limiting such lateral movements of said upper gripping devices.

2, In a machine for lasting the shank portion of a shoe, a support for a shoe on its last adapted to hold a shoe in predetermined position with the longitudinal center line of its heel end in alinement with the longitudinal center line of (the machine, a first pair of upper tensioning devices arranged to operate in the vicinity of the breast line of the shoe and a second pair of upper tensioning devices arranged to operate in the vicinity of the ball portion of the shoe, each of said upper tensioning devices including a pair of upper gripping jaws and a member adapted to engage the insole of the shoe, a pair of shank wiping units for wiping'the lasting margin of the tensioned upper materials inwardly over the shank portion of the shoe, means mounting said second pair of upper tensioning devices for sliding movement as a unit-in directions extending laterally of the shoe being lasted to two different positions predetermined position with the longitudinal center line of its heel end in alinement with the longitudinal center line of the machine, a first pair of upper tensioning devices arranged to operate in the vicinity of the breast line of the shoe and a second pair of upper tensioning devices arranged to operate in the vicinity of theball portion of the shoe, each of said upper tensioning devices including a pair of upper gripping jaws and a member adapted'to r engage the insole of the shoe, a pair of shank wiping units 17 v for Wiping the lasting margin of the .tensioned upper materials inwardly over the shank portion of the shoe, means including a slide for mounting said second pair of upper tensioning devices for movements as a unit in directions extending laterally of the shoe being lasted to one of two positions ofiset from the longitudinal center line of the machine to accommodate right or left shoes, and a pair of manually adjustable stop members for limiting such lateral movement of said upper gripping devices.

4. In a machine for lasting the shank portion of a shoe, a support for a shoe on its last adapted to hold a shoe in predetermined position with the longitudinal center line of its heel end in alinement with the longitudinal center line of the machine, a first pair of upper tensioning devices arranged to operate in the vicinity of the breast line of the shoe and a second pair of upper tensioning devices arranged to operate in the vicinity of the ball portion of the shoe, each of said upper tensioning devices including a pair of upper gripping jaws and a member adapted to engage the insole of the shoe, a pair of shank wiping units for wiping the lasting margin of the tensioned upper materials inwardly over the shank portion of the shoe, means including a slide for mounting said second pair of upper tensioning devices for movements as a unit in directions extending laterally of the shoe being lasted to one of two positions ofiset from the longitudinal center line of the machine to accommodate right or left shoes, a pair of manually adjustable stop members for limiting such lateral movements of said gripping devices, and cooperating means associated with said slide and said stop members for holding said upper tensioning devices in said offset positions.

5. In a machine for lasting the shank portion of a shoe, a support for a shoe on its last adapted to hold a shoe in predetermined position with the longitudinal center line of its heel end in alinement with the longitudinal center line of the machine, a first pair of upper tensioning devices arranged to operate in the vicinity of the breast line of the shoe and a second pair of upper tensioning devices arranged to operate in the vicinity of the ball portion of the shoe, each of said upper tensioning devices including a pair of upper gripping jaws and a member adapted to engage the insole of the shoe, a pair of shank wiping units for wiping the lasting margin of the tensioned upper materials inwardly over the shank portion of the shoe, means mounting said second pair of upper tensioning devices for sliding movements as a unit in directions extending laterally of the shoe being lasted to one of two positions offset from the longitudinal center line of the machine to accommodate right or left shoes, a pair of manually adjustable stop members for limiting such lateral movement of said upper gripping devices, cooperating means associated with said stop members and said upper tensioning device mounting means for holding said upper tensioning devices in said offset positions, and means associated with the holding means and responsive to pressure exerted thereon to move the slide in either direction for releasing said holding means.

6. In a machine for lasting the shank portions of shoes, a support for a shoe on its last, shank lasting instrumentalities including a first pair of upper tensioning devices adapted to operate in the vicinity of the breast line of a shoe on the support, and a second pair of upper tensioning devices adapted to operate in the vicinity of the ball portion of the shoe, each of said upper ensionin'g devices including a pair of normally open gripper jaws and a member for engaging the insole of the shoe and adapted to exert yielding pressure thereon when said upper tensioning device is moved toward the bottom of the shoe, means for moving said upper tensioning devices, together wifli their open gripper jaws toward the bottom of a shoe on the support, means for closing the gripper jaws of each of said devices thereby to seize the upper materials, means for thereafter moving the gripper 18 jaws away from the shoe bottom thereby to exert tensioning pulls on the upper materials seized thereby, and control means associated with the gripper jaw closing means of said second pair of upper tensioning devices for rendering the gripper jaw closing means operative to hold the gripper jaws closed during the movement of said upper tensioning devices toward the shoe bottom and subsequent movement of the jaws away from the shoe bottom whereby the upper materials are not seized by the gripper jaws of said second pair of upper tensioning devices but the insole is held yieldingly against the last by the insole engaging members.

7. In a machine for lasting the shank portions of shoes, a support for a shoe on its last, shank lasting instrumentalities including a first pair of upper tensioning devices adapted to operate in the vicinity of the breast line of a shoe on the support, and a second pair of upper tensioning devices adapted to operate in the vicinity of the ball portion of the shoe, each of said upper tensioning devices including a pair of normally open gripper jaws and a member for engaging the insole of the shoe and adapted to exert yielding pressure thereon when said upper tensioning device is moved toward the bottom of the shoe, fluid pressure operated means for moving said upper tensioning devices together with their open gripper jaws toward the bottom of a shoe on the support, fluid pressure operated means for closing the gripper jaws of each of said devices thereby to seize the upper materials, fluid pressure operated means for thereafter moving the gripper jaws away from the shoe bottom thereby to exert tensioning pulls on the upper materials seized thereby, and control means associated with the gripper jaw closing means of said second pair of upper tensioning devices including a manually movable valve member for rendering the gripper jaw closing means operative to hold the gripper jaws closed during the movement of said upper tensioning devices toward the shoe bottom and subsequent movements of the jaws away from the shoe bottom, whereby the upper materials are not seized by the gripper jaws of said second pair of upper tensioning devices but the insole is held yieldingly against the last by the insole engaging members.

8. Ina machine for lasting the shank portions of shoes, a support for a shOe on its last, shank lasting instrumentalities including a pair of upper tensioning devices adapted to operate in the vicinity of the breast line of a shoe on the support, each of said upper tensioning devices including a pair of normally open gripper jaws and a member for engaging the insole of the shoe and adapted to exert yielding pressure thereon when said upper tensioning device is moved toward the bottom of the shoe, means (for moving said upper tensioning devices together with their open gripper jaws toward the bottom of a shoe on the support, means for closing the gripper jaws of each of said devices thereby to seize the upper materials, means for thereafter moving the gripper jaws away from the shoe bottom thereby to exert tensioning pulls on the upper materials seized thereby, and control means associated with the gripper jaw closing means of said pair of upper tensioning devices for rendering the gripper jaw closing means operative to hold the gripper jaws closed during the movement of said upper tensioning devices toward the shoe bottom and subsequent movement of the jaws away from the shoe bottom whereby the upper materials 'are not seized by the gripper jaws of said upper tensioning devices but the insole is held yieldingly against the last by the insole engaging members.

9. In a machine for lasting the shank portions of shoes, 'a support for a shoe on'its last, shank lasting instrumentalities including a pair or" upper tensioningdevices adapted to operate in the vicinity of the breast line of a shoe on the support, each of said upper tensioning devices including a pair of normally open gripper jaws and a member for engaging the insole of the shoe and adapted to exert yielding pressure thereon when said upper ten- 

1. IN A MACHINE FOR LASTING THE SHANK PORTION OF A SHOE, A SUPPORT FOR A SHOE ON ITS LAST ADAPTED TO HOLD A SHOE IN PREDETERMINED POSITION WITH THE LONGITUDINAL CENTER LINE OF ITS HEEL END IN ALINEMENT WITH THE LONGITUDINAL CENTER LINE OF THE MACHINE, A FIRST PAIR OF UPPER TENSIONING DEVICES ARRANGED TO OPERATE IN THE VICINITY OF THE BREAST LINE OF THE SHOE AND A SECOND PAIR OF UPPER TENSIONING DEVICES ARRANGED TO OPERATE IN THE VICINITY OF THE BALL PORTION OF THE SHOE, EACH OF SAID UPPER TENSIONING DEVICES INCLUDING A PAIR OF UPPER GRIPPING JAWS AND A MEMBER ADAPTED TO ENGAGED THE INSOLE OF THE SHOE, A PAIR OF SHANK WIPING UNITS FOR WIPING THE LAST MARGIN OF THE TENSIONED UPPER MATERIALS INWARDLY OVER THE SHANK PORTION OF THE SHOE, MEANS MOUNTING SAID SECOND PAIR OF UPPER TENSIONING DEVICES FOR SLIDING MOVEMENT AS A UNIT IN DIRECTIONS EXTENDING LATERALLY OF THE SHOE BEING LASTED TO TWO DIFFERENT POSITIONS OFFSET FROM THE LONGITUDINAL CENTER LINE OF THE MACHINE TO ACCOMMODATE RIGHT AND LEFT SHOES, AND A PAIR OF MANUALLY ADJUSTABLE STOP MEMBERS FOR LIMITING SUCH LATERAL MOVEMENTS OF SAID UPPER GRIPPING DEVICES. 